Instagram and Pinterest updates for brand managers

Instagram revealed Wednesday that it would offer (to selected advertisers) photo carousel ads, which tell a brand’s story through a sequence of four images. Instagram said in a company blog post that the ads would give companies greater flexibility in storytelling.

The post explains:

One way to look at it is carousel ads bring the potential of multi-page print campaigns to mobile phones—with the added benefit of taking people to a website to learn more. For instance, a fashion company could use the carousel to deconstruct the individual products in a ‘look.’ A car company might share an array of different features of a vehicle and provide a link to learn more about the new model. Or, an advertiser could showcase how multiple ingredients come together to make a delicious meal.

That’s not all Instagram is offering through its carousel ads, however. For the first time ever, the social media app will offer marketers the chance to link to their companies’ websites through a “Learn More” button.